ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book discusses the innovations to special education teacher preparation that resulted from the USDOE/Office of Special Education Programs 325T funding initiative. For over a decade, 325T project personnel generated new practical and theoretical models that can be transformed into an ongoing research agenda for special educator preparation. Teacher preparation in the twenty-first century is no longer an endeavor that resides in colleges and universities; by necessity, it is closely linked to or embedded within P–12 schools, affecting inservice teacher development, administrators and school boards, city and state policy makers, and the communities in which students and their families live. The book includes multiple examples of how programs are attempting to prepare teacher candidates to implement evidence-based practices (EBPs), including examples of performance criteria and assessments.
